THE GOSPEL IN JAPAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2984, 24 May 1911, Page 93

THE GOSPEL IN JAPAN.

INTERESTING LECTURE. There was a large attendance of ladies in the Stuart Hall on the 16tlh instant, the occasion being the deliverance of an interesting address by the Rev. Graham H. Balfour to the members of the Presbyterian Women's Missionary Union. Mrs Hewitson presided, and after prayer and the singing of a hymn she briefly introduced Mr Balfour, the subject of whose lecture was, "The Gospel in Japan." • . Mr Balfour said that when the Christian Churches faced the evangelisation of Japan they faced a far more difficult problem than they realised. When Robert Morrison was going to China he was asked if he thought he was going to convert China, and he replied that he was not, but that God was. That was an heroic venture of faith. But even he never realised what the future difficulties would bo. When he was in Japan he was told that the people would never be conquered. They might be wiped out, but they would never become a subject people. They were too loyal to their country and to themselves. One great difficulty was that some of them. thought that to be conquered by Christ was to be disloyal to their Emperor. To some extent they might say that the Christian Church had failed, but still >:o thought that it had not failed, but had made marvellous strides, and to-day was a great power. There were 50 million people in Japan, and about 40 million of them had not heard evangelical Christianity preached. The nation of Japan was being flooded with atheism and agnosticism, and millions of the people who had given up the old heathenism had become converted to these doctrines. From that some might say that Christianity had failed, but still he thought it had succeeded brilliantly, and the speaker instanced the big strides which had been made in the way of educational and medical institutions. The Bible was also being more, widely read. One thing he had 1 noticed was that Buddhism was being revived, but, as had been said, instead of that being a sign of the weakness of Christianity, it was a sign of its strength. Because the Bhuddists were adopting Christian methods, and if it was true that imitation was the sinoerest form of flattery, then all this imitation was a revelation of the stiength of Christianity. They were copying the externals of Christianity, but they would: not get the power of Christianity until they probed down into the very heart c{ the matter. 'ln regard to the educational institutions there were none who deserved more credit than the American missioners. They had built schools and colleges and Y.M.CA.'s. At one time they had had as many as 800 pupils at one of their colleges, aind these institutions had a great evangelical influence. The country was being influenced in many ways, and all for one end—to bring Japan to Christ. _ With regard to Y.M.CA.'s, one prominent business gentleman in America had! donated five or six, and he (the speaker) had just recently heard that he had given another one. The way in which they wore set up was this: The mission people would erect the building, and then get the people of the district to subscribe money for the furniture, etc. This gave them a practical interest in the concern, and when it was completed it was handed over to the people themselves. To complete the evangelisation the country must be flooded with men and with Christion literature. The speaker was thanked for his interesting address, and the meeting concluded with prayer.